Arrangement and method for impeding pet access to food in a feed vessel to deter too rapid ingestion of food

ABSTRACT

An arrangement and method for restricting access by a pet to food in a feeding bowl in which a covering piece is supported at an elevated position extending partially over food in the bowl, thereby impeding access to the food thereby deterring a too rapid ingestion of food. The pedestal is preferably detachably fixed to the bottom of the bowl as by a suction cup mount. The covering piece can be detachably mounted to an upper end of the pedestal to be easily replaced.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No.61/56,865 filed on Nov. 17, 2011, incorporated herein b reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention concerns feeding pets, particularly dogs and cats. Itsometimes occurs that a pet will eat too rapidly, and gulp down the foodprovided. This can create problems since excess ingestion of air withthe food often results, causing flatulence, vomiting, or, moreseriously, bloating which can threaten a dog's life if prompt medicaltreatment for the condition is not obtained.

Such wolfing down of food is a matter of habit and could be corrected ifthe pet is consistently restrained from eating too quickly. Commonly asone recommended measure, pet owners are warned to not elevate the pet'sfeeding bowl, but this has not been found to be a complete remedy.

Another measure which has been practiced is installing pegs in thebottom of the bowl which protrude up into the feed and have somerestricting effect on feeding behavior, but insufficient in manyinstances and tends to create an unnatural manner of eating.

After only a short time, a dog will typically develop avoidancetechniques which still allow a too-rapid ingestion of the food despitethe presence of the pegs.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an arrangementassociated with a feed vessel to reduce the rate at which the pet canconsume food placed therein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above recited object and other objects which will be understood uponreading the following specification and claims are achieved by a methodand arrangement which impedes access to the food to deter rapidingestion of the food. The arrangement includes an upright pedestalfixed to the bottom of the bowl, preferably so as to allow readydetachment as by the use of suction cup connected to the bottom of thepedestal.

A radially extending covering piece is attached to the upper end of thepedestal extending out across the open top of the vessel, partiallycovering the same so as to impede ready access by a pet to food placedin the vessel cavity beneath the covering piece. The radially extendingcovering piece may take a great many different forms including two ormore arms projecting radially out from the upper end of the pedestal, ora radial cross bar which can have a series of ribs successively mountedextending across the cross bar and out over the bowl or vessel cavity.

The presence of the covering piece partially impedes the pet's access tofood disposed in the bowl or other vessel beneath the covering piece,deterring too rapid ingestion of food, necessitating avoidance of thecovering piece when attempting to reach the food.

Preferably, the clearance between the covering piece and rim of thevessel varies to require differing effort to extract food from spacesabout the perimeter of the bowl.

The covering piece may also define pockets or receptacles for thecontainment of treats, etc.

The covering piece can either be fixedly attached or rotatably mountedatop the pedestal.

The covering piece can have snap fitted elements to enable convenientreplacement or reconfiguration thereof to counter the animal's effortsat developing techniques allowing a speed up in the rate eating thefood.

Cavities in the covering can be provided to allow treats to be placedtherein, distracting the pet to likewise slow the rate of eating of thefood in the bowl.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a pet feeding bowl having an arrangementof a pedestal mounted covering piece radially extending out over thefood in the bowl installed therein.

FIG. 2 is front view of the elevated covering piece shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2A is a sectional view of the covering piece shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4A is a pictorial view of an alternate form of a covering pieceincluded in the arrangement according to the invention.

FIG. 4B is a pictorial view of yet another form of the covering pieceincluded in an arrangement according to the invention.

FIG. 4C is a pictorial view of still another form of the covering piecein the arrangement according to the invention.

FIG. 4D is a pictorial view of another form of covering piece in anarrangement according to the invention.

FIG. 4E is a pictorial view of still another form of covering piece inan arrangement according to the invention.

FIG. 4F is a pictorial view of still another form of covering piece inan arrangement according to the invention.

FIG. 4G is a pictorial view of still another form of covering piece inan arrangement according to the invention.

FIG. 4H is a pictorial view of still another form of covering piece inan arrangement according to the invention.

FIG. 4I is a pictorial view of still another form of covering piece inan arrangement according to the invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a replaceable covering piece embodiment ofan arrangement according to the invention.

FIG. 6 is a section view of a rotatably mounted covering piece in anarrangement according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, certain specific terminology willbe employed for the sake of clarity and a particular embodimentdescribed in accordance with the requirements of 35 USC 112, but it isto be understood that the same is not intended to be limiting and shouldnot be so construed inasmuch as the invention is capable of taking manyforms and variations within the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings and particularly FIG. 1-3, a conventional petfeeding vessel such as the bowl 10 shown, has an arrangement 12installed therein according to the invention, fixed to the bottom wall16 of the bowl 10. The arrangement includes a vertically extendingpedestal 14 preferably detachably secured to the bottom wall 16 by meansof a suction cup 18 which can be made to be integral with the bottompedestal 14.

A radially extending covering piece 20 is affixed to the top of thepedestal 14 as by being made integral therewith, thereby beingsubstantially positioned to be elevated above the bottom wall 16 so thata space beneath the partial covering piece 20 and the bottom 16 isdefined for accommodating pet food.

The covering piece 20 extends radially out from the top of the pedestal14, preferably in two or more radial directions as shown. The coveringpiece 20 leaves varying size spaces between its outer perimeter and thebowl rim 17 through which the pet can access the food. This necessitatesdifferent efforts to extract food such as with the teeth or with thetongue. Access to the food is partially obstructed to deter rapidgulping down of the food, since the pet must maneuver around the piece20.

This is a more natural feeding activity as foraged food in the wildrarely presents itself so easily to the animal for ingestion as beingpiled in a bowl.

The arrangement 12 is advantageously molded from a tough chew resistantbut non toxic elastomeric material such as polypropylene or nylonplastics, which are easily cleaned and dishwasher safe.

The covering piece 20 can be shaped in many different shapes as long asthe degree of covering is substantial enough to be effective intolimiting access to the food in the bowl so as to deter feeding,resulting in the animal ingesting food at a relatively moderate pace asthe food is extracted through the opening spaces by its jaws or by useof its tongue.

This will overtime develop eating habits which are more measured even ifthe invention is not always in place.

FIGS. 4A-4I show various alternate configurations of the covering piece20.

As seen in FIG. 4A, the covering piece 20A may extend in three radialdirections and be formed with upwardly facing pockets 22 into which foodor special treats can be deposited.

The presence of the treats itself will slow the pet's feeding bydistracting it and focusing its attention on particular food items.

FIG. 4B shows a covering piece 20B with three slender longer arms 24extending radially out and which also curve upwardly.

FIG. 4C shows a generally planar extending radially horizontallycovering piece 20C which has an opening 26 therein.

FIG. 4D shows a generally planar covering piece 20D which is disposedvertically and on edge, with an opening 26.

FIG. 4E shows a covering piece 20E which is comprised of a radiallyextending cross bar 30 mounting a series of partial ribs 32 extending ina chordal direction.

FIG. 4F shows a covering piece 20F with two hollow radially extendingpaddle elements 34 vertically disposed and a cup 36 which also cancontain food or special treats.

FIG. 4G shows a covering piece 20G which is comprised of three radiallyextending on edge hollow paddle elements 34.

FIG. 4H shows a covering piece 20H comprised of three radially extendingflat paddle elements 36 projecting from a central cup 38, also able toreceive treats.

FIG. 4I shows a covering piece 201 similar to that shown in FIGS. 1-3,but with a hollowed out upper side to form a treat receiving cavity 30,with partitions 42 subdividing the space 40.

FIG. 4J shows a covering piece 20, which is similar to that shown inFIG. 4E, but with an additional rib 22.

It can be appreciated that any number of particular shapes are possible.

Since particular shapes of covering pieces will define differentlyconfigured openings they require different techniques to access thefood, switching between shapes may be advantageous to discourage thedevelopment of techniques allowing too rapid ingestion of food.

Detachable pieces 20 may be provided by a snap fit construction (notshown), or as shown in FIG. 5, a screw 44 mounting can be employed toprovide detachability of the pieces 20 for ready replacement.

FIG. 6 shows a spinner mount for a covering piece 46 allowing thecovering piece 46 to be rotated by the pet in its attempts to access thefood between the covering piece 46.

1. An arrangement for restricting access by a pet to food in an opentopped feed vessel to slow the consumption of food from the vessel bythe pet, comprising: a pedestal; an attachment for securing the pedestalto a bottom wall or said vessel so as to be held in an upright positionwithin said vessel; and a covering piece mounted to an upper end of saidpedestal having portions extending radially therefrom so as to cover asubstantial portion of said vessel open top, whereby access to fooddeposited in said vessel in space therein below said covering piece by apet is significantly restricted to thereby force the pet to avoid thecovering piece while eating and thereby slow the pet's consumption offood in said vessel space.
 2. The arrangement according to claim 1wherein said attachment comprises a suction cup releasably attached to abottom of said pedestal.
 3. The arrangement according to claim 1 whereinsaid covering piece has one or more cavities recessed into an uppersurface thereof for receiving treats for a pet.
 4. The arrangementaccording to claim 1 wherein said covering piece includes at least twoarms extending horizontally from said upper end of said pedestal indifferent radial directions, said arms covering a substantial portion ofsaid open top of said vessel.
 5. The arrangement according to claim 1wherein said covering piece is readily detachable from said upper end ofsaid pedestal to enable replacement with another covering piece.
 6. Thearrangement according to claim 1 wherein said covering piece isrotatably mounted to said pedestal upper end.
 7. The arrangementaccording to claim 1 wherein varying size clearance spaces are formedbetween the inside of a rim of said vessel and an outer perimeter ofsaid covering piece.
 8. The arrangement according to claim 1 incombination with a food bowl comprising said vessel.
 9. The arrangementaccording to claim 1 wherein said covering piece comprises a cupattached to said pedestal upper end with a series of flat paddlesprojecting radially and horizontally from a perimeter of said cup.
 10. Amethod of reducing the rate of consumption of food deposited in an opentopped vessel by a pet, comprising: installing a covering piece at anelevated position above a bottom of said vessel so as to partially covera substantial portion of food beneath said covering piece to therebyinduce said pet to avoid said covering piece while ingesting said foodand thereby slow its rate of eating said food.
 11. The method accordingto claim 10 wherein said covering piece is installed by mounting apedestal to said bottom of said vessel and holding said covering pieceat an upper end of said pedestal to position said covering piece at saidelevated position above said vessel bottom.
 12. The method according toclaim 11 further including mounting said pedestal to said vessel bottomby affixing a suction cup affixed to a lower end of said pedestal andengaging said vessel bottom with said suction cup.
 13. The methodaccording to claim 11 further including rotatably mounting said coveringpiece on said upper end of said pedestal to allow spinning movementthereon.
 14. The method according to claim 11 further including mountingsaid covering piece to said pedestal so as to be readily detachabletherefrom and facilitate replacement thereof.
 15. The method accordingto claim 10 further including forming open topped cavities in saidcovering piece to allow placement of food or treats therein.
 16. Themethod according to claim 10 wherein said covering piece defines varyingclearance spaces between the inside of a rim of said vessel the outsideof a perimeter of said covering piece.